>> KEITH JACKSON

SCOTLAND'S MOST INFLUENTIAL SPORTS COLUMNIST

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Francisco 49ers, was becoming an epic disappointment.

Six months on, it does appear that Cavenagh and his wing man, Paraag Marathe, are ready to start taking this thing seriously.

Of course, there is much work for them still to do and that will start by appointing first in class professionals who are worthy of the positions that Stewart and Thelwell now leave behind.

Replacing a couple of dudders with the men of a similar calibre might appease fans in the short term but will do nothing to address the fundamental failings which have rendered Rangers as an irrelevance in their own backyard for much of the last 20 years.

Cavenagh and Marathe should also be mindful of where they turn when seeking advice on the next important steps.

If, for example, they continue to rely on the knowledge and expertise of the 49ers European football guru Gretar Steinsson, they could very well end up making the same mistakes all over again.

Steinsson may keep his head down in terms of his profile around Rangers but he's been at the heart of the decision-making process which led to Thelwell's appointment as well as the equally catastrophic hiring of Martin.

It was Marathe who brought the former Bolton player and Iceland international into the club's command centre after previously employing him at Leeds United as part of the US buyout of the Elland Road outfit.